Boys lit up Vegas

The Under-14 team from the Cayman Islands Youth Football Program participated in the 2014 Mayor’s Cup International Showcase in Nevada over the weekend. Cayman won both of its first-round games, beating Alaska’s Cook Inlet, 3-1, and the Centennial state’s Colorado Rapids, 2-0.

The squad, featuring youngsters like Corey Mellaneo, lost to the Wolverine state’s Michigan Jaguars 1-0 in the playoffs before beating Arizona’s Tuscon TSA 1-0 in a consolation game. Cayman’s performance gained a positive review from local media outlets like the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Twenty boys represented Cayman for the second year at the tournament along with three coaches, a manager and team doctor. Leading the support team was head coach Ernie “Gillie” Seymour and assistant coaches Antwan Seymour and Ken Downey. The competition is co-hosted by the Downtown Las Vegas Soccer Club and the city of Las Vegas, attracting clubs from Canada, Russia and Germany.